Rice Terrace Creature Count

Rice fields are ecosystems, not just crops. Frogs, dragonflies, spiders, birds, eels, snails.

Most children see terraces as scenery. Counting what lives in them changes that permanently, and the count is usually higher than anyone expects.

If you have no access to a real field, a classroom rice tray attracts more than you would think, particularly dragonflies.

The page has the survey method, a species list with pictures, and a tally. It also includes the note about pesticide, which is why some fields are full of life and some are almost empty, and which is a real and visible difference in the region. Older grade three classes can handle that conversation and it lands hard.